Batmanhas gone up against plenty of horrifying villains while fighting crime in Gotham City, but few have been as consistently terrifying asthe Joker. While Two-Face, Scarecrow, and Clayface can all be scary in their own right, the Joker often has the most horrifying stories centered around him, and nowAbsolute Batmanwriter Scott Snyder promises that the Absolute Joker will be the most terrifying version of the character yet.
During an interview withthe Comics Beat, Snyder delved into his latest interpretation of the Joker, sharing details that readers have yet to see in the comics. One of the major things that separates this version from the main DC Universe is that this Joker doesn’t seem like he will be a reflection ofBatmanlike in the Prime Universe. Instead, Snyder and series artist Nick Dragotta are going in a different direction.
As Snyder himself says in the interview: “[The Joker is] scarier than we’ve done him in a while, it’s just, on the surface when he first appears, you’ll see him a lot more as a rich handsome guy billionaire. But he’s not.He’s got a lot of dark secrets.”
The Absolute Version of the Joker Is Like an Evil Billionaire Bruce Wayne
A Dark Reflection of Batman’s Standard Wealthy Alter Ego
This version of the Joker isa billionaire with several companies around the world. Two of the biggest are apparently Just Kidding and Killjoy (JK and KJ). While Just Kidding focuses on entertainment, such as movies and video games, Killjoy is the exact opposite, focusing entirely on the military-industrial complex and the desire to keep America in a position of military superiority. This business-minded character is a stark change from the Joker that readers are most familiar with in the Prime Universe.
Snyder is now exploring a different angle of the character, as the Absolute version of the Joker has been active for years longer than Batman.
In the main DC Universe, theJoker is often interpreted as a response to Batman. After Batman appeared in Gotham, the Joker appeared soon after. When Batman disappears from Gotham, so too does the Joker. This strange relationship has been explored in dozens of comics over the years, including by Snyder. But Snyder is now exploring a different angle of the character, as the Absolute version of the Joker has been active for years before Batman, and he’s been active outside of Gotham, too, puttinga new twist on whatever relationship they will have, and it seems that this Joker is much closer to Bruce Wayne than Batman.
Absolute BatmanWriter Scott Snyder Is No Stranger to Horror
He’s Made Some Pretty Terrifying Joker Stories
Snyder claims that what will truly make thisa frightening new take on the Joker is that he looks like a normal man. In the Prime Universe, it’s easy to take a glance at theJoker and know that he’s dangerous. But in the Absolute Universe, he looks like a regular guy. He comes off like a pretty charming and sophisticated billionaire, but he still has that absurd level of sadism and evil lurking just below the surface. While the Joker is usually over-the-top and theatrical, this version of the character will be a more subtle and menacing figure.
I Never Thought the Joker Was Funny, But He Just Made Me Laugh Out Loud
I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing his character revitalized with the addition of genuine humor—provided it stays true to his unhinged nature.
Snyder has written plenty of horror comics in the past, and he was responsible for some of the most horror-related Batman stories during the New 52, which included a horrific portrayal of the Joker alongside artist Greg Capullo. Snyder has spent a lot of time exploring the duality of Batman and the Joker, and it seems that in the Absolute Universe it’s time to look at the Joker and Bruce Wayne. Instead of a clown-faced serial killer with exploding teeth,Batmanwill be going up against everything he could have been in the main universe: a billionaire without morals, and that’s aJokerreaders haven’t seen before.
Absolute Batman#1, which includes the first glimpse of the Absolute version of the Joker, is available now from DC Comics!
The Joker
The Joker is a psychopathic criminal mastermind with a warped sense of humor. Initially introduced as a remorseless serial killer, the character evolved over time, often oscillating between a prankster and a homicidal maniac. His relationship with Batman is one of the most complex in comic book history, defined by their mutual obsession. Over the decades, the Joker has become an enduring icon of chaos and madness, embodying the antithesis of Batman’s order and justice.
